The Smoke
The “Family Von Sturchheim Dwarfen Circus of Mechanical Marvels” is now known to all the Empire simply as “'the Smoke'.” It is an amazing and colossal show consisting entirely of steam-driven rides and marvels. Its presence is announced by a monstrous plume of smoke in the air around it. This smoke is not the usual sort of fog-and-dust affair. Instead it is a greasy, black mixture that coats the windows, streets, and people up to five miles away. However, in the carnival itself the air is clean and crisp. Clever funnels ensure that the pollutants are sent efficiently up into the air so they can be blown to someone else’s doorstep. However, despite the environmental impact of the carnival, it remains one of the most amazing and exciting sights in the Empire. It is run by the Dwarfen engineers of the renowned Von Sturchheim family. Many years ago the family sought funding to build their incredible machines. Unfortunately, other Dwarfs thought the family mad for building such huge, pointless toys, and their pleas for support fell of deaf ears. Luckily, they found the humans of the Empire a far less stoic bunch. Their carnival was an instant success, and in their first year they visited many of the great noble houses of the Empire. On the second year the demand for their carnival was even greater... though this time, they were asked to set up five or more miles away! Gaining entrance to the carnival is expensive, as the upkeep of the machines is very costly. However, some Nobles have been known to reward villages by bringing the carnival to them and paying the residents’ entrance fees. Those who give additional funding to the carnival have their names carved in the great metal arch entrance to the carnival, which grants great reputation. The machines and rides at the carnival come in all shapes and sizes: * The Whirly Spin — This machine consists of cages connected to a central hub with long arms. When running, the hub spins faster and faster, only slowing when the motor is disconnected; there is no brake! * The Brain Shaker — This machine looks similar to the Whirly Spin, but in this case clever cogs lift and drop the arms as the unit spins. Those in the cages go up and down as well as round and round. Unfortunately, the cogs maintaining the lifting and dropping are shaky. Children who manage not to throw up are given a free toffee apple on exiting! * Furnival's Mighty Dwarfen Warrior — This mechanical man-shaped construction stands around eight feet tall. Its Dwarfen pilot, Furnival, sits inside the “chest” and walks it around the fair offering piggyback rides. The ride is quite exciting, as you never know if the machine will fall over. * Tobin's Flying School — The carnival has a few old but serviceable Dwarfen gyrocopters. Tobin and his pilots offer rides around the carnival, though they make sure to always stay below the cloud of black smoke hovering above. For those who can afford it, lessons on how to fly the gyrocopters can be organised as well. * The Colour Spectacular — This machine for smaller children is designed to belch smoke in different colours. Moving levers causes different chemicals within to mix and exit. Children play with the levers to make new and interesting colours of smoke blast out of the various funnels on the machine. * The Great Wheel of Destiny — This “big wheel” is one of the centre points of the show. Rather than stay in one place and turn, however, it rolls around the border of the fair, kept (mostly) vertical by a massive pole fixed to the drive machinery in the centre of the carnival. Anyone entering the fair needs to give way to this massive structure travelling round, or they would easily be squashed by the 50-foot-high high wheel. Source * : Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Companion ** : pg. 18 ** : pg. 19 Category:Carnival Troupes Category:S Category:Dwarf Organisation